The Prince
by sylversmith
Summary: ShikaTema series of one shots tied into Machiavelli's "The Prince". The shinobi world is dominated by two factions: those who lead through fear, and those who lead through love. (Rating for language). So. Much. Fluff.
1. Masks

"Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are"

Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince

* * *

Temari was a woman of many faces.

In the world of politics, where spreading rumors came as natural as breathing, her name always evoked an air of hushed reverence. She was one of the few players who not only resisted the world of temptation and corruption, but could also bring the most experienced dealers to their knees. While everyone knew the face to the name, no diplomat ever found a way to evade the machinations of the "Glass Tongue of Suna".

"Did you hear? _She_'s heading the delegation from the sand in the annual renewal of the Suna-Kumo trade policies."

"Really? Perhaps it's time that we looked into favorable merchant routes to Suna."

**§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§**

Stories, far and wide, spread over the world to tell the tale of "The Cruelest of the Kunoichi". She had grown up in the same household as one of the fabled jinchuriki and emerged an equal; honing her mind, her body, and her chakra until she had become one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world. Some of her most dedicated supporters would argue that she could rival the Godaime Hokage or the Godaime Mizukage as the strongest of the kunoichi. Even in Iwagakure, the long-standing rival of the Village in the Sand, aspiring young girls trained for hours on end in hopes of, one day, becoming the next "Wind Mistress of Suna".

"Sensei told me that if I train harder, I could end up like _her._"

"Yeah right, I heard that the only battle _she_ ever lost was to one of the nine demon hosts" **(1)**

**§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§**

In the late hours of the night, when men gathered behind closed doors, they would exchange tales about the fabled beauty of the Kazekage's sister. Some would stare off in the distance while their mouths spoke of hair as bright as gold and eyes more piercing than the purest of sapphires. Others would exchange knowing grins while their minds pictured long, sculpted legs and killer curves. Yes, many a night was spent discussing the true "Treasure of the Sand".

"Tell me again, what did she look like?"

"Well, I didn't see her myself, but my brother told me that the skin of her hand felt like the softest silk and when she moved, her ass..."

**§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§**

None of her faces mattered to him, because he could see through them all.

No matter her strategies or her intentions, he was always one, five, or one hundred steps ahead, and all without even trying.

Even though she held the higher rank, neither of them would ever forget the moment when his shadow captured her own and bent her will before him.

His eyes always remained politely fixated on her own, even in her most scandalous, and elegant of moments.

It wasn't until after the war that she noticed that no one else ever earned quite the same level of scrutiny.

"Tch. Troublesome woman. What are you smiling about?"

* * *

(1): First off, although she _technically _lost the battle to Shikamaru in the chuunin exams, since he forfeited, I counted that as a win for Temari. Secondly, I omitted the loss to Sasuke in the filler arc since I didn't think that that would end up being spread in the rumor mill. (For anyone who wants to argue against me LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU. Yes, I know that I'm mature.)

This is my very first one-shot. I just finished my longest chapter for "Pulling the Strings" (chapter 4) and felt a little lazy after writing out the outline for chapter 5, but as a Boston resident, I got caught in the recent lockdown and found myself with an entire day to kill. Don't worry, I have the wine ready. Long story short, I suddenly started thinking about the comparisons between Machiavelli's "The Prince" and the leadership styles of Shikamaru and Temari. Normal, right? Well, voila, insta-one-shot.

Please review and let me know if you guys want more! I have a couple ideas for more chapters, but I understand if you're not into it.

Oh, and obviously I am neither Machiavelli nor Masahi Kishimoto, and therefore I own none of this.


	2. Intentions

"It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."

-Niccolo Machiavelli

* * *

He looked in front of him, surveying the damage. On his left, a long range ally was contained by the combined forces of an enemy melee fighter being supported by a mid-range trap specialist. Any supporting forces that he could move into the fray were already struggling to hold back the enemy's own long range forces who had pulled a surprise attack on the weakest point in their defenses. Defenses that had already been breached by a covert attack force. He looked to his side, considering the reinforcements that lay in wait for his signal to initiate the counterattack. A counterattack that, he suspected, his adversary had already anticipated. As he leaned back from the shogi board, he looked up into the teal eyes that glinted in satisfaction.

"What's the matter, crybaby? You don't need to sulk just because I have your rook cornered by my lance and knight."

He let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders in apparent boredom, hoping that his casual body language would bely the thrum of excitement he felt in his veins. It had been a while since he had felt challenged in a shogi game, but he felt no need to stroke his girlfriend's ego by revealing just how much attention he was putting into their match. Besides, as usual, their 'game' extended far beyond the simple movement of pieces on the board before them. Instinctively, his fingertips connected in his lap as his mind raced through hundreds of scenarios, piecing together their inevitable consequences.

"What, no snide remark? Don't tell me that the great slacker-ninja of Konoha is actually pressed to try. And against a woman no less..." Again, he carefully controlled his facial reaction, lest she realize just how accurately she had assessed his silence. And then he found it. He did not even bother to try to keep the smirk from blooming on his face, especially when he saw her frown in response.

"How about we wager? If you win, I'll agree to a rematch to our chuunin battle at a time of my choosing. If I win, you have to give your word that you will stop pestering me about the whole troublesome ordeal. Indefinitely." She looked down at the board in front of them, her concentrated frown deepening as she considered the pieces sitting on the board and on his komadai (1). While she was distracted, he let his attention drift from the game, appreciating the way that the low lighting of her temporary quarters at the consulate softened and accentuated her features. When her eyes jumped back to meet his own, he saw the rare flicker of uncertainty in their depths as she tried to see through his intentions before again hardening in resolve. Her rosy lips quirked upwards in her own confident smirk.

"I didn't realize you were so eager to battle me. It's a deal."

Grin in place, Shikamaru picked up the bishop from his komadai, and lazily clicked it onto the board. He momentarily admired the brilliant smile on her face before she picked his captured knight from her own komadai and clicked it onto the board. "Checkmate, lazy a-"

"Now." Even before finishing the word, he had closed the space between them, using his body and some basic grappling moves to restrain her movements; pinning her below him with his face only a few centimeters from her own. He turned suspicious when her body remained loose and relaxed and she let out a low chuckle that stoked the fire of his libido. Slowly stretching her head upwards, Shikamaru quelled the stab of disappointment when her face shifted to the side; her cheek grazing his own until her mouth was even with his ear.

"I hope that you don't think that you're going to win that easily."

It wasn't until many hours, and layers of clothing, later that Shikamaru began to calculate the odds of catching Temari in such a ploy at a time when the master kunoichi was wearing more lace than weapons.

* * *

(1) Komadai is the small side table on which shogi players place their captured pieces to drop onto the board later in the game. That being said, I hope that everyone can follow the 'battle' that I threw together at the beginning.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I wanted to keep this one in Shikamaru's POV for jayjoan. I'll definitely get one that's a little more 'Shikamaru centric' in future chapters.

Also, before anyone can call me out, I do know that this quote is not _exactly_ from _The Prince_, but it fit with the theme too well for me to pass it up.

Disclaimer: I'm still not Kishimoto or Machiavelli.


End file.
